Love and Hope : A Prologue
by toshirolover1
Summary: Hi everyone! So this is my first story that I am publishing so please be kind. Summary: When you have everything taken away from you by the one who's supposed to protect you what do you have left? A Story of heartache and how it can be overcome. Sorry , I am not very good at summarizing yet!
1. prologue

Prologue

I still remember that night. The first of many to come. How he stole into my room so quietly. I never sensed his presence, but that comes as no surprise. You want to know why? I was just five. I never thought it would happen to me. After all, you don't expect it from a parent. You're always told to watch out for strangers. To watch for men hiding behind trees, dressed in trench coats. The truth of the matter is, you have no idea just what lurks beneath the surface till it's too late. The one I trusted the most was my father. I was closest to him out of everyone in my small family. All those times I was with him, I had no idea what was going to happen till that fateful night. He stole what was mine to keep till the right moment.

"Don't make a sound."

I did as I was told. After all I was supposed to be perfect. The PERFECT CHILD. I had seen firsthand what happened to those who opposed him. My mother, my sister, and now me. I stayed still in that bed and let him do what he wished. The pain was excruciating. I laid still as tears rolled down my face.

"You're a good girl. Yes, the PERFECT CHILD. I tried with your sister and failed. This time however, I will rectify that error," He said as he raped me for the very first time. Afterwards, it was as if it had become normal. A ritual that had to be performed in order for me to become his twisted version of perfection.

There was little doubt in my heart that this monster that I called my father would do exactly as he planned, if given the proper amount of time. No one would suspect a thing. Why would they? He was my father and he meant the world to me. We looked like a normal family, all smiles and hugs on the outside. Yet, behind closed doors there was a different side. A completely different side of us that no one knew anything about.

Hikari. That's my name… unfortunately. I was named by my mother…watashi no haha. She once told me that it meant "light". The light that would overcome the darkness. Yet… in that moment I saw no light. No path I could follow to find an end to that pain. Suffering alone in that darkness for all eternity. It's funny. I used to really hate my mother… I thought that she was protecting a monster. But we all have our demons... and she was no exception. Even I myself had some... but those would develop later on. A twisted reality… but a TRUE ONE. Countless nights passed on in that same fashion.

Until that one day when I met MIZU.


	2. On the Run

Chapter 1

On the Run

" _Run! You have got to run!"_

 _That voice again. My mother's voice. Who is she shouting to? Who is it that she is so desperately trying to protect? Who is that? It's me..! It is me she is trying to protect! This is impossible! So is this a dream? The same dream that I have been having for a long time now. Yes…a dream._

 _Where am I? What is this place? Wait, could this be the same forest? The big castle-like structure in the background… could that be where I escaped from? It has to be! There is no other structure in sight for miles, no matter in what direction I look at._

 _It's so cold outside and it's so dark. Why am I here? What am I running from and why am I doing it? I'm all alone and I am completely lost. On my own again, without anyone to help me out in the dark._

" _You won't escape from me! No matter where you go… remember that!"_

 _No! It can't be! This can't be happening! Not here… not now! Not after everything that I have been through already! I have lost everyone I care about…isn't that enough for you? Well father?!_

" _Hikari! Don't worry my child! I will protect you! Just don't forget the choker Hikari... and remember that you are never alone."_

A dream? I was dreaming. That's all it was. A dream … or rather an incident that only feels like a dream now. That night. I shuddered as I thought about that night so long ago. Back when I was just 5 years of age. Back then, it was just me, my mother, my father, and Mizu. Things quickly changed though. I remember everything clearly about my past. There has never been a single day where I don't remember those I have lost. After all, they are the reason I am still here. This reoccurring dream... no that's not quite right. This recurring **nightmare** is just further proof that it all really happened.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember the horrible abuse that began when I turned 5. According to my father, 5 was the special age that it was all supposed to start by. The night I turned 5 my whole life was flipped upside down. That was the first night the abuse began. To be more specific, that was the first night the **sexual** abuse began.

You know… it's funny. You never think about things like this occurring at the hands of the ones you love the most. You are always thought to watch out for strangers wearing trench coats… perhaps hiding behind trees. No one ever warns you that stuff like this can occur at the hands of the ones who have sworn to protect you. I still have a hard time believing that it really occurred.

I specifically remember this one particular night. The night that me, Mizu, and my mother resolved to escape. It wasn't very easy. I suppose I should start at the beginning.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Approaching Darkness

"They aren't here!"

"Damn. The lights were only out for 5 minutes!"

"Those bitches! Both girls kept in the north wing are gone!"

"Go find them! Now! Run! Block all exits!" Kageyashamaru yells.

"Hikari, Misaki-san! I have found an exit!"

I hear Mizu's voice resonating in the dark. There is no need to whisper, as all the guards think we'd take the most obvious exit, the front doors. The guards might not be smart enough, but my oto-san (father) is.

We climb up the rope ladder that's running up the wall. My oka-san (mother) had everything prepared. Leave it to her to get all the details right. We'd never get this far without her.

"Well, looks like all the 3 years of training came in handy..!" Mizu says nervously. We all start to laugh nervously.

 _BOOM! BOOM!_

"How reckless! Opening fire on us! Do they not know that there is proper etiquette when dealing with women?" My mother jokes.

 _BOOM!_

A quick succession of rounds was fired at us. Bazookas?! Seriously?! They must really be getting serious down there. Too bad! Oh well, time to go! We jump off the roof, landing hard on our feet. There was no time to rest, we ran straight into the 1000 acres of forest. We had to find a place to hide and plan our next move and quickly. We all knew that we couldn't keep going like this! Don't forget that Mizu and I were just 7 years of age. We couldn't fend for ourselves and my mother couldn't possibly fend for both of us and herself at the same time.

In no time at all, he finds us.

"Looks like you've been caught. Come along quietly, after all, one of you are going to be the perfect child. I can't very well kill you all here. I must take you to the lab," My father says.

"Never! I won't let you do that!" My Mother screams.

As my mother says 'Never' she opens her hands, and a bright pink light shoots out.

"How did you do that?" I ask quickly.

"Run! I've bought us some time!" Oka-san yells.

"Bought you some time? I think not. Sorry, Misaki. On the contrary, it looks like you're all out of time," Oto-san laughs.

"Run you two! What are you standing there for?! RUN! GET OUT OF HERE! Run and don't ever look back! Go on with your lives! Be strong … both of you! Live a strong life! Move forward and remember that no matter what happens, you two are never alone! TAKE THIS!" She says as she throws that choker that she treasured and knew would protect us.

With tears in our eyes Mizu and I run through that forest, the shrubbery and branches clawing at our clothes and slowing us down.

"THERE YOU ARE! I GOT YOU!" Suddenly my father's hand shot out and grabbed a handful of Mizu's hair.

"MIZU!" My own terror filled scream echoed through the misty night as I watched my best friend brutally dragged back to where HE stood.

I break of one of the charms and throw it to Mizu. She catches it and says, "Run Hikari! Don't let Misaki-san's sacrifice be in vain!" She screams.

"No! Don't leave me all alone again! I can't take it! I can't!" I scream back.

"HIKARI! Stand up and move forward! I know you can do it! You're strong! Stronger than Misaki-san ever was or I will ever be! You're the only hope left! You have to survive! **YOU MUST!"**

"O-ok than… well than promise me. Promise me that until we meet again, you will keep the charm that you have safe! I won't abandon you Mizu-chan! I WILL come back for you! No matter what the cost!" I scream back.

"All right! I promise!"

And I knew that she would keep that promise too. I could see the conviction in her eyes and hear it in every word she spoke that night. That was the last night I saw Mizu-chan. I never would have guessed what fate had in store for the two of us following that night.


	4. Chapter 3 : All alone

Chapter 3

All Alone

Pain… and tons of it.

Mother...No. My oka-san. How is she? What kind of pain is she going through now? I snap out of my thoughts of my mother as I hear a rustling in some bushes nearby.

" _Be alert. Run at the littlest sounds, Hikari, always camouflage into your surroundings. Just remember that, you will never know when you'll need it."_ My oka-san's voice echoes in my head.

I start to run, and head deeper into the dark forest. I nervously cover up my footsteps with sticks and leaves. Suddenly, a horrid pain rushes through my stomach.

 _Why..? Why is my stomach hurting? Food! I need food…_

I look around for some food. I think of what my mother told me that night.

" _Hikari, remember you can eat Fiddleheads. Look for the curly shape of it. It can be found near forests and streams. You eat it boiled."_ My mother's advice comes back to me.

I look near trees, trying to find some curly shaped plants that look edible.

"There!" I burst out, forgetting the dangers around me.

I pick up the small Fiddlehead.

 _I should eat this boiled… but I don't have too many options. I guess I'll take my chances and besides I can't really risk getting caught after all the sacrifices that have been made for me._

Looking back now, I guess that was my biggest mistake. Patience was never my strong suit and I was so hungry I didn't really care about getting detected. I never imagined that I was being watched as I stuffed my face with those Fiddleheads. Regardless, I just kept eating and eating.

The sun finally rose but I can't say that I was too pleased. Afterall, you can hide in the shadows... but you can't do that in the sunshine. Well… all I can do now is find a place to rest. It's safer to move in the dark anyways.


End file.
